Inside Look: SJ Girls HS Basketball

Episode 36 Coach Casey Heitman was born and raised in Mantua, NJ. She went to Clearview High School and played basketball. It was the relationships that she made in high school that stands out the most in her mind. Back then they enjoyed scrapbooking and clipping news articles to documment important basketball achievements. After graduating from Clearview, Heitman attended Kings College. She played basketball and worked hard to earn her teaching degree. After graduation she returned back to South Jersey and started working in the West Deptford School District. She got her start by volunteering to coach basketball. Eventually, she earned a position on the coaching staff at West Deptford. An opportunity opened up and Coach Heitman decided to take a job working in the school district she grew up attending as a student. She joined the coaching staff at her alma mater and after some time was named Head Coach. After experiencing great success in 2020, Clearview is now a young up and coming team. Look out because they will be a force to deal with in the near future. https://twitter.com/ViewGirlsBball Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Paul Baruffi grew up in Vineland, NJ. He was the youngest of five kids and the Baruffi Family was well known in that area for athletics. Vineland is surrounded by farmland. Coach Baruffi played point guard and enjoyed his playing days very much. He ultimately became a teacher. Coach Baruffi got his start coaching at his alma mater with his high school coach, Ed Harvard. Eventually he connected with his college coach who was at Ocean City HS at the time and he went on to become the Head Coach. Coach Baruffi led his team to 8 South Jersey Championships, 1 State and 6 overall Cape Atlantic Championships over the past 20 years. His most successful season to date was 2013, when his team won the Group 3 State Title. He guided his team back to the State Finals in 2020 but the game was never played and the kids missed out on a great experience because of Covid. This year Coach Baruffi has made the necessary adjustments to prepare his team but ultimately his team was put in quarantine because kids on the opposing team tested positive for Covid. This in combination with the winter weather made a shortened season even shorter. They were happy to return to thw court and play the final two games of the season and the seniors had the opportunity to play their last game for Ocean City High School. https://twitter.com/ocredraiders?lang=en Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Brandon Lyons is in his fourth year as Head Coach at Woodstown High School. He wass born and raised in South Jersey. He lived in Franklinville and attended Delsea High School. He loved playing sports growing up. He got the opportunity to play a variety of sports. He realized that he enjoyed working with kids, so after graduating high school he went on to study Exercise Science with a focus on earning his teaching degree. He got his start coaching while he was still in college. One day he had a prep period and asked if he could go to the gym and shoot some hoops. While he was shooting he was approached and asked to coach middle school basketball. Coach Lyons took advantage of this opportunity to learn as much as he could. After years of volunteering and working as an assistant, he got a job working in the Woodstown High School. Immediately, he approached the boys coach to get involved with coaching. Soon after, the girls job opened uo and he was named the Head Coach of the Woodstown High School Girls Basketball Team. And as they say, the rest is history. https://twitter.com/whsgirlshoops1 Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Lamont "Bup" Robinson grew up in Salem, NJ. He enjoyed playing basketball and football growing up. When he got to Salem High School, he focused his energy towards following hid dream of playing in the NFL. This led him to decide to continue his playing career at the University of Oklahoma. After graduating from college he moved home to be closer to his family. He worked at several places before deciding to go back to school to earn his Masters. During this time he coached several sports in different capacities, learning from each one. He ended up at Kingsway High School and named the Girls Head Basketball Coach. He is in his third season and he is extremely proud of his team, who clinched the Tri-County Royal Division Title. They move on to finish out the season playing in the Conference Tournament. https://twitter.com/DCoachBupRob https://twitter.com/Dragons_AD Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Sean McAneny is a first year Head Coach at Lenape HS. He grew up in Edgewater Park and moved to Mt. Laurel when he was in 8th Grade. Coach McAneny played soccer and basketball growing up and attended Holy Cross. It was at HC that he set a goal to play soccer in college. One of his coaches told him that he needed to be the fastest kid or gain weight. In his junior year he joined track to get faster and his times caught the attention of colleges.   Coach McAneny ended up running Track and Cross Country at St. Joe's University. He fell in love with basketball because the St. Joe's Men's Basketball team was nationally ranked at the time and the games were so excited. The atmosphere in that gym was absolutely amazing.  After graduation he went on to earn a Masters Degree in Special Education. He got his start coaching when he applied for the middle school coaching job at Olsen MS in Tabernacle. The principal offered him the boys job but told him he had to coach the girls too. He developed a great relationship with the Seneca coach. When he got hired at Lenape as a teacher the Seneca coach reached out to Coach Hummel at Lenape. He told Hummel that he needed to get McAneny to work with the girls.  This summer McAneny was named Head Coach after Hummel decided to step down to spend more time with his kids.  Coach McAneny has the added advantage of being an assistant on staff. He knows the players and knows their strengths. This has allowed him to pick up right where they left off last year. Coach McAneny will be here for years to come.   https://twitter.com/Lenapegirlshoop  Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Lisa Steele is doing her best to keep South Jersey Girls Basketball in the conversation by playing against top team across the state. She grew up in Erial, NJ and played at Highland High School in the early 2000's. She scored 2,203 points in high school. She was a key member of the 2004 team that finished with a record of 28-1 and won the South Jersey Group 3 Title. After a successful high school career, she decided to play at George Washington. GW was a top team in the A-10 Conference and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA's. Unfortunately, Steele dealt with a series of stress fractures that impacted her career and limited her practice and playing time. When she was healthy enough to play, she made it a point to make an impact in key moments of the game. Coach Lisa Steele made the transition to coaching. She started by working with AAU teams while she was still a player in college. After college she worked camps at various colleges to gain experience and ended up coaching at Mount Saint Mary's and Wagner. Eventually she decided to return to South Jersey. In 2014, she won the job at PVI and it has been her mission to grow that program to be one of the best in the area, state and country. https://twitter.com/LSteele35 https://twitter.com/gbb_vi Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach J Senft is the Head Coach for Highland High School Girls Basketball. He grew up in Mt. Ephraim, NJ and attended Audubon High School. He played football and basketball in high school. He fell in love with History and decided that he wanted to be a teacher. Coach Senft attended Rowan University. He focused on his studies and found time to play intramural sports. He studied History and earned his teaching degree. Coach Senft got his start coaching as a volunteer while he was student teaching. After graduation, he met with his parents neighbor who offered him a position as an assistant football coach at Triton. An opening as a History Teacher opened up at Highland a few weeks in to the school year He realized that he had a passion to coach basketball and got his start coaching freshan girls. Eventually he was offered the JV Girls position and he decided to take it. In 2008 he became Head Coach and has remained at that position ever since. Coach Senft has experienced the highs and lows of coaching but is dedicated to working with his players and preparing them for life. Despite having a young team, Coach Senft has his team playing well and in the hunt for a division title. https://twitter.com/HoopPhiBBall Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach John Considine loved the game of basketball growing up. Surprisingly, it was not his best sport. Not many people know this but he played tennis in college while studying kinesiology and becoming a teacher. Coach Considine got his start coaching middle school boys in Moorestown where he worked. He coached Bob Falconiero's son in middle school. Falconiero was the Boys Head Coach at Eustace at the time. He invited Considine to coach with him at Eustace. After coaching at Eustace for a few years as an assistant the Girls job opened up. After thinking it over he decided to take the job and as they say the rest is history. Coach Considine has enjoyed success at Eustace. He gets his team to compete at a high level despite having a 10 year old son and 7 month old daughter. Coach Considine enjoys the relationships that he builds with his players and it shows. We are looking for more great things to come. https://twitter.com/rollcrusaders https://twitter.com/CoachCons11 Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Jackie Mulligan was born and raised in South Jersey. She grew up living in Stratford, NJ. Like most kids, she grew up playing sports with the neighborhood kids. She realy enjoyed softball and basketball. She attended school in town and eventually went to Sterling High School. She enjoyed a successful high school basketball career playing for coaching legend, Bill Ulrich. Mulligan is very humble and doesn't mention it but she scored 2,515 points and was Gatorade's New Jersey Player of the Year. Her team won state titles during her junior and senior years. After high school, Mulligan went on to play at Penn State, who was the number one team in the country at the time. She eventually earned her degree in teaching and returned home to teach. She got her start coaching middle school. Eventually, Coach Mulligan was brought on staff at her alma mater as an assistant coach where she learned a lot from Coach Ulrich. She became interm coach midseason when Coach Ulrich had bypass surgery. She took over the head coaching position once Coach Ulrich stepped down. She continued to guide the team to success but eventually stepped down when her middle daughter was born. Coach Mulligan and her husband John have 3 girls and moved to Haddonfield when they were in elementary school. In 2014, she returned to coaching and was named Head Coach at Haddonfield Memorial High School. She loved the idea that she would eventuallu get the opportunity to coach her daughters. She has built a strong program at HMHS and has the ready to compete at a high level each year. We look forward to seeing Coach Mulligan lead this team for years to come. https://twitter.com/HMHSgirlsbball Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Mike Brunswick was born in Michigan. His family moved to a small town in upstate New York called Windsor. He grew up playing a variety of sports. He attended Windsor High School where he played football basketball and golf. After graduating from high school, he attended Springfield College to become a teacher. While at college, Coach Brunswick joined the Intermural Golf Team and had the opportunity to play at some of the best golf courses in the Northeast. He eventually earned his teaching degree focusing on PE and Health. Almost immediately after graduating, Coach Brunswick was invited to interview at Moorestown Friends School. He was hired and has been teaching there for the last 28 years. Like many coaches, he started as an assistant coaching boys basketball. When the position opened up in 2001, he made the switch and became Head Coach of the Girls Basketball Team. Coach Brunswick has enjoyed great success during his tenure as head coach. The last 4 years was the most successful in school history. 81 wins, SJIBT Champs, 2 finals appearances, 2 FSL Reg season #1 seeds, Top rankings in the state and SJ polls. This year things are much different for Coach Brunswick and his team. The school made the tough decision to not allow the team to play this year, only practice. They are making the most of their time together and will celebrate the caree of 4 seniors. They are focusing on fundamentals and will be ready to compete when the time comes next year. https://twitter.com/mfsbrunswick Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Lauren Kendra is the Head Coach of Haddon Heights. She grew up in Bellmawr, NJ and attended Catholic School growing up. She got a late start in sports after she broke her arm doing gymnastics. Coach Kendra attended and played basketball at Gloucester Catholic under Lisa Gedeka. After high school, she went on to play soccer and basketball at Kings in Wilkes Barre, Pa because she connected with the basketball coach there. During her senior year she tore her ACL. She went on to earn her degree but ultimately she realized that her calling was coaching and teaching Biology. Coach Kendra got her start coaching middle school basketball and then went back to her Alma Mater as an Assistant Coach under Coach Gedeka. After a few years , Gedeka encouraged her to move on to be a head coach and she eventually won the job at Haddon Heights. Coach Kendra was very fortunate to inherit a team with talent and was very successful in her early career. This year she is off to a fast start and has built a strong foundation for the next few years. https://twitter.com/3HSGirlsBball Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Please note: This interview was originally done on August 1, 2020. Gabby Turco grew up in Philadelphia and at the age of 3 her family moved to Washington Township. Gabby started playing soccer when she was young and it was her main sport. Her mom introduced her to basketball when she was in 5th/6th grade. Her mom played basketball at Wildwood High School and went on to play basketball at American International College. Gabby grew to love the game and eventually quit soccer to focus on basketball. She played basketball at Washington Township High School as a Freshman and Sophomore. During the summer after her Sophomore year her family made the move to Wildwood. Gabby enrolled at Wildwood Catholic and enjoyed a successful career being named captain and scoring her 1,000th point during her Senior Year. Gabby will be continuing her academic and basketball career at St. Anselm. Here are some of her achievements to date: 1000 Point Scorer 2 Time First Team CAL North vs South All Star Al Carino All Star Senior CAL All Star National Honor Society First Honor Roll Junior and Senior Year

SHOW LESSCoach Chrissie McGovern grew up in Franklinville, NJ She grew up playing different sports with her cousins. Eventually, she moved to Washington Township and attended Gloucester Catholic. She played basketball for Coach Lisa Gedeka. Initially she was set to continue her basketball career at University of the Sciences but at the last minute, she had second thoughts. She went to GCC and then Rowan where she played basketball. After graduating from Rowan and becoming a Phys. Ed Teacher, she was offered a job teaching and coaching in Brick Township. She stayed there for 4 years but wanted to work closer to home. She started teaching and coaching at Cherokee. The district moved staff around and she was moved to Shawnee under Coach Anderson. He stepped down and let he know that she would be the new Head Coach. Coach McGovern was fortunate to inherit a talented team and made it to teh SJ Group 4 Finals in her first two seasons. Last year, Shawnee caugh fire at the right time. As the number 14 seed they upset Clearview, Jackson Memorial and Lenape and returned to the SJ Group 4 Finals. They faced sister school and division rival Cherokee HS. There was not an empty seat in the house. Game was tight until the middle of the third quarter when Cherokee went on a little run and ended up beating Shawnee. It was an amazing run for a team that nobody but Shawnee thought would win. Coach McGovern is back to her winning ways with a new starting lineup after graduating 4 seniors. This year they are taking it one game at a time and focusing on tough defense and protecting the ball. With the help of her all female staff they look to go deep in the playoffs next year. https://twitter.com/shawneeladybbal​ Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Mike Velardi is a first year Head Coach at Hammonton High School. This was a natural landing place for him. He was born and raised in Hammonton, NJ. He played Football, Baseball and Basketball growing up. In high school he focused on playing Football and Baseball once he got to high schhool. He attended school in town and graduated from Hammonton High School in the late 90's. After graduating high school, Coach Velardi stayed local and attended Stockton. Where he played baseball but later decided to focus on becoming a teacher. Coach Velardi got his start coaching as a volunteer. He was in college at the time and substitute teaching to get experience and earn money. He decided that he liked coaching and after graduating from college he moved on to coaching middle school baskeball. The Head Coach job opened up when the coach moved on to take a job as an Assistant Principal in another district. Coach Velardi has overcome the challenges of Covid. With only ten player and no JV team this year, he coached the team to earn his first victory as Head Coach of the Hammonton High School Girls Basketball Team. I have no doubt that Coach Velardi will have a successful career and put this team on the map. https://twitter.com/HHSDevilsGBB Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Ron Powell grew up in Burlington Township and attended grade school and high school in town. He played basketball in high school. After high school, he attended Trenton State (now TCNJ). After two years he decided to transfer to East Stroudsburg where he persuded his degree in Physical Education. Coach Powell got his start in coaching as an assistant at Rancocas Valley. After one year, the head coach at the time moved on and Coach Powell became the new head coach at the age of 24. He went on to coach at RVHS for 15 and enjoyed success winning two NJSIAA State Championships. After a successful career at RVHS, Coach Powell stepped down to focus on earning his masters degree. Word go out that he was available and the Principal and Athletic Director of Cherokee offered him the Head Coach job. He initiallay turned them down but had a change of heart and accepted the job. Coach Powell coached the boys for 12 years and again experienced great success and won one NJSIAA State Championship. He stepped away from the game for five years and was approached by the Cherokee Principal. This time he was offered the job to become the Girls Head Coach In 2017, the Lady Chiefs won the NJSIAA Group 4 South Title, eventually losing to Sayerville in the semi-finals. In 2018 he earned his 500th win as a coach. 2019-2020 was a historic year for the Lady Chiefs. They finished the season with a record of 30-1, the best record in team history, most wins in a season in team history and advanced the farthest in the playoffs in team history. The team claimed the NJSIAA Group 4 South Title and beat Montgomery in the Semi-Finals. Unfortunately, the season was cancelled soon after because of Covid. Coach Powell is doing the best he can to make this year as normal as possible. With the help of his Assistant Coaches, John McFadden and Erin Farrell, they have the team focused to play Cherokee Basketball. Lady Chiefs Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeLadyChiefsBasketball Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonPowe66343474 Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Bret Jenkins was born and raised in Mt. Laurel. He attended the local schools in Mt. Laurel and went to Lenape High School where he played Basketball and Baseball. He went on to play Basketball and Baseball at Ursinus. He got his first experience coaching when he was asked to help his younger brother's team. This led to him coaching JV on the boys side. After a few years the position for the Girls Head Coach opened up and he decided it was time to go for it. He experienced success in his very first year improving their record and took his team to the playoffs. Coach Jenkins knows how to get the most out of his players. Last year, his team tied for the Division Crown with Burlington Township. Coach Jenkins is off to a 2-0 start during this sortened season and will prepare his team to compete and have fun. https://twitter.com/Bret_Jenkins https://twitter.com/CHSGirlsBball Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Coach Kristen Przybylski or Coach P as she is know in the basketball community was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Her family eventually moved to Barrington. Right before she started high school, her family moved to Voorhees and she attended Eastern Regional High School. Growing up she played basketball and softball but eventually focused on playing basketball. After high school, she attended Camden County College and later moved on to Rowan University. Like many coaches, Coach P got her first taste of coaching as a volunteer under her high school coach who moved on to Cherry Hill East. She returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach at Eastern for sixteen years. She spent one year as an assistant at Haddon Heights before returning to Eastern as Head Coach. Coach P quickly won over her players and went 16-10 in her first year nearly upsetting Cherokee at home who was number one in South Jersey at the time. Coach P has her team focused and ready to compete this season and they look to build upon the success of last season. https://twitter.com/ECCRSDGirlsBB Music Credit: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nicholas_Mackin/A_Journey/04Nicholas_Mackin-Ellinor-A_Journey_II-A_Journey-SLC41_Soisloscerdos

Anthony Corrado is going into his 19th year as Head Coach for Rancocas Valley High School Girls Basketball. He was born South Philadelphia and moved to Stratford and attend Sterling High School. He played three sports growing up and moved on to play baseball at Rutgers Camden. Coach Corrado got his start in coaching as an assistant at the middle school he attended growing up. in 2000, he was named Head Coach at RVHS and has been there ever since. He coached some great teams through the years and coached his team to the finals of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions in 2013. In 2020, Coach Corrado successfully organized the first SJ vs Shore Tournament featuring top teams from South Jersey battling it out against top teams from the Shore Conference. Every game was competitive and proved that South Jersey has the talent and coaching to hang with the best teams in the state. Coach Corrado enters this season with a new attitude, focusing on playing strong defense and fast play to compete in every game. RV enters the season ranked No. 9 in the Courier Post's Mean 15 and No. 16 in the SJIBT Preseason Top 20. https://twitter.com/rv_girlsbball https://twitter.com/anthonycorrad22

Jason Handy is the current Head Coach for Winslow Township High School Girls Basketball. He grew up in Camden, NJ and his family moved to the Pine Hill/Lindenwold area just before his Freshman Year of High School. He attended and graduated from Overbrook High School. He played football, basketball and baseball. After graduating from high school he had aspirations of playing at FDU but a knee injury cut his playing career. Coach Handy got started with his coaching career under the guidance of his mentor Coach James Puderbach Jr. After years of learning, he developed his own style and eventually landed at PVI HS and coached with Lisa Steele. The head coach position opened up last season and Coach Handy was awarded the position. Coach Handy is building the program up by mentoring his capatins and players to work hard, have fun and be a family. In his first year the team finished just under .500 and made it to the second round of the playoffs. In his second year as head coach, Coach Handy is focused on competing every game and helping his players with academics. I have no doubt that Winslow High School will be a force to recon with for years to come. https://twitter.com/coachhandy https://twitter.com/winslowgirlsbb

Keegan Douglas was born in Reston, Virginia. Her parents at Catholic University and were living in Virginia. Soon after she was born, their familyh moved Haddonfield to be closer to her mom's family. Haddonfield is a small town but when it comes to sports they are a powerhouse. The close knit community and competitive nature breeds athletes. Keegan grew up with a love for soccer and basketball. It was in middle school that she shifted her efforts and goals towards playing basketball in college. Keegan played varsity and a Freshman and was the starting point guard. Although she was nervous at first, she settled in pretty quickly and had been a key player for Coach Jackie Mulligan. Keegan scored her 1,000th point in a tough game against Moorestown Friends. She looks to lead her team in her Senior Year and will make the best of the opportunity to play with her teammates one last time. Keegan will be continuing her basketball career at Loyola. Here are some of her achievements to date: 1000 Point Scorer - 1st Team Colonial Conference - 1st Team All South Jersey Group 2 - Colonial Conference Player of the Year - SJIBT Fab 50 - USJN Tournament First Team Academics: - High Honor Roll Freshman-Present Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/10659153/Keegan-Douglas *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Basketball is away of life for Dakota Schultice and the Schultice Family. Her dad Jim grew up in Philadelphia and attended North Catholic. According to his bio on the Holy Family Website, "James Schultice, a forward men's basketball team from 1989 to 1992, is second only to Michael Glitz in career rebounds (1,663), fourth in career points (2,110) and ninth in career assists (419). In his senior season, James became Holy Family's first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-America first team pick. He was a three-time NAIA District 19 and Keystone Athletic Conference team selection. As a junior, he was a NAIA All-American nominee. In 2003, James was inducted into the 14th class of the Philadelphia Area Small College Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Four years later, he was inducted into the North Catholic Hall of Fame." Mom played basketball growing up too. Dakota's brother Tim graduated from Timber Creek in 2019. He played is Freshman Year at RCGC and will be transferring to Immaculata University in the fall. Dakota grew up in Sicklerville, NJ and recently graduated from Timber Creek High School. She started out playing basketball in 7th Grade and has been doing it ever since. Dakota is driven to be successful and works hard every day to be the best player she can be. She played varsity as a Freshman eventually earning the opportunity to start during her Junior Year. She was named captain and started every game her Senior Year. She is an excellent rebounder and shooter. Dakota will be attending Holy Family University in the fall. She will follow in her dad's footsteps and play basketball. She hopes to create her own legacy on an off the court. Dakota said "I loved the whole team and coaches. The team has a very good ... and I really felt like I fit in. Also, the coaches are amazing and really looked out for me throughout the whole recruiting process. With that, all around I just knew that Holy Family was the college for me." Here are some of her achievements to date: Basketball: First Team All Conference (Senior Year) Al Carino Senior All-Star Game All-star Labor Classic Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/DakotaSchultice *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Adriyana Jennings was born in Camden., NJ. She grew up in East Camden in what she described as a quiet neighborhood where she attend school. She started playing basketball in 6th Grade. She was a raw player at that point and became known to her teammates as "Fouler". Her overaggressive style of play on the court caused her to get called for fouls. She eventually realized that she needed to settle down and relax to stay out of foul trouble. She moved in 7th Grade because her mom started a new job and wanted to live closer to her work. Adriyana attended school in Winslow. She was determined to be the best player she could be. Adriyana continued to develop her game at Winslow Township High School. Her coach as a Freshman, Sophomore and Junior was tough on her. Looking back she realized that he pushed her to bring out the best in her, Unfortunately, health issues forced the coach to retire and Coach Handy was named Head Coach. Coach Handy injected new life into the program. He brought positive energy and a fresh coaching style that Adriyana says got her lots of exposure during her Senior Year. In her words, "We had a blast as a team on and off the courts. He (Coach Handy) made my senior year one of my most memorable years. Coach always pushed me to keep working, he encouraged me to play my game and to not hold back when I see something.". Adriyana recently committed to continue her academic and basketball career at Stockton University. The coaching staff led by Head Coach Devin Jefferson is excited to welcome a player of her caliber to the team. It is great to see this young lady have the opportunity to play so close to home and play with her friends and family in the stands. Looking forward to following her career. Here are some of her achievements to date: Basketball: Al Carino Senior Award First team All Conference Academic: Honor roll Renaissance Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/10550647/Adriyana-Jennings Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/AdriyanaCapri *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Marianna Papazoglou is a young woman on a mission. She has played at high level at Wildwood Catholic from the minute she stepped on the floor. Coach Steve DiPatri trusted her as a leader. She was called upon as a Freshman to help lead a young team and was named captain that year. Her drive and determination allowed her to score her 1,000th point in the playoffs vs Gil St. Bernard in the playoffs her Sophomore Year. She knew she was close before the game and when she hit that milestone she was bombarded by her teammates but Marianna was all business. It wasn't until the ball went out of bounds and play was stopped that she took a moment to celebrate but all she could think about was securing the win. Marianna is a total team player. She respects her coach and loves her teammates. She grew up and lives in North Wildwood, NJ. Her family owns the Original Hot Spot on the Wildwood Boardwalk where she works during the summer months. I'm told that the tourists favorite dish is the Gyro but she loves the Chicken Parm. Marianna recently decided to continue her basketball career by committing to the University of Pennsylvania. She looks forward to the change of scenery but is happy to be close enough to home so her family and friends can watch her play. Marianna is looking forward to playing for Coach Mike McLaughlin. Marianna is taking the down time during the quarantine to improve her ball handling and is getting ready for her last hurrah at Wildwood Catholic. 2,000 career points is within reach. She is following in her mom's footsteps but creating her own legacy. Here are some of her achievements to date: Basketball: Al Carino Second Team All-South Jersey Al Carino All-Non Public Team NJ.com Top Junior and Sophomore Cape Atlantic League First Team United Division Academic: Principal's List Student of the Month (2018) National Honor Society National Spanish Honor Society Top 10% of my class Ranked 12/449 in class Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish National Merit Commended Student The Theresa McGlade Memorial Award via The Al Carino Girls Basketball Club Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/14082928/Marianna-Papazoglou Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/marianna_2219 *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Video courtesy of Jersey Sports Zone. *Video courtesy of Brian Cunniff-Coast Sports Today. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Regan King is mature and wise beyond her years. She is heavily involved in the community and is always looking for opportunities to give back and help others. Regan is lives in Mount Laurel, NJ. She attends Lenape High School and is a member of the Class of 2020. It's funny. My daughter Gabby and Regan's sister Kaitlyn have played against each other since 4th grade. We would always see their family at basketball games and events. We always smiled at each other and said hi but I never had the opportunity to actually sit down and talk to the King family until this winter. Regan and her family were raising money for Breast Cancer through their Think Pink Event held in the lobby of the gym during girls travel basketball games. They had tables set up with elaborate prizes and a well stocked concession stand that grabbed my attention. We sat and talked for a half an hour and it was really nice to get to know them. I was so impressed with Reagan's stories about traveling to Peru and her desire to become a doctor. Regan played varsity all four years of high school. Each year she earned more time and played a key role in the team's success. Coach Hummel gave her the opportunity to shine on the court. During her Senior Year she was named Team Captain and moved to Point Guard. Regan is only 5'5 but if you've ever had the pleasure to watch her play she you will see that she has a high motor and doesn't back down from a challenge. It's her determination that is the key to her success on and off the court where she excels in the classroom and is a top student. Regan has decided to focus on her studies at Villanova but wants to play club basketball and continue to coach girls basketball. I have no doubt that she will be an amazing doctor one day. Here are some of her achievements to date: Basketball: All-Olympic Conference (2 years) Group 4 Sectional Champion Group 4 State Finalist, Team Captain All-County All-South Jersey NJ Top 85 Seniors SJIBT Top 50 players. Academic: Principal's List Student of the Month (2018) National Honor Society National Spanish Honor Society Top 10% of my class Ranked 12/449 in class Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish National Merit Commended Student The Theresa McGlade Memorial Award via The Al Carino Girls Basketball Club Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/14544839/Regan-King-10 Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/reganking_ *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

This interview with Soccer All American and Gatorade Player of the Year Kelli McGroarty of Easter High School gives us an inside look into her High School Academic and Athletic Career. It's very rare to find a true three sport athlete in the age of sports specialization. Kelli is truly a unique young lady that shoots for the stars. The one thing that stands out after talking to Kelli is that she is humble and unselfish. Being the daughter of two All American Soccer parents has got to be tough. She credits her success to her parents, coaches and teammates. She understands that her success on the field is the result of the hard work of her team. Kelli will continue her soccer career at LaSalle University with the possibility of playing lacrosse as well. Kelli gives 100% on the court and on the field. Here are some of her achievements to date: Soccer: 3x Regional All-American 2x All-American 3x Mid-fielder of the year SJ New Jersey State Player of the Year 2018 NJ.com United Soccer Coaches NJ Player of the Year 2019 Gatorade NJ Player of the Year -School Records: Points 275 Goals 108 Most goals in a season 40 Basketball: 3x First Team All-Conference All-South Jersey 1000 point scorer Lacrosse: All-Conference and SJ Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/8893656/Kelli-McGroarty Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/kellimcg10 *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Video courtesy of NJ.com. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Kennedy Wilburn 2020, from Cherokee High School in Marlton, NJ, was a part of a team that made school history. This year the Lady Chiefs made a historic run. They advanced to the Group 4 State Finals for the first time. If you ask Kennedy, the team was primed for a State Championship. Sadly, they never got the opportunity to play that game. Covid-19 forced the NJSIAA to cancel the game. At least the team ended the season with a win and a 30-1 record, the most in school history. Kennedy is a 5'9 forward who was co-captain of the team. The team really bonded off the court and his translated into a winning attitude on the court. Kennedy has decided to attend the Hun School in the fall. This will allow her to continue playing basketball and get a taste of what it is like to be away from home. Kennedy will continue to focus on improving her skills to get ready for college the following year. Here are some of her achievements to date: Second Team Al Conference (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior) First Team All Conference (Senior) Al Carino Senior All Star North vs.South All Star Cherokee Athlete of the week Academic Honor Roll all four years. SuperChief-Special award for varsity athletes who maintain a GPS of 3.6 or higher. Spanish National Honors Society Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/8983969/Kennedy-Wilburn Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/wilburn_kennedy *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Kyla Treadwell is a Senior at Holy Cross High School. She will be attending Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia in the fall where she will be continuing her basketball career. She was born and raised in Camden, NJ. She started playing basketball later than most girls, in sixth grade, but this did not stop her from being a great player. Kyla attended PVI her Freshman and Sophomore years then made the switch to Holy Cross. Kyla is deadly from behind the arc hitting 69 three points during her Senior Year. Kyla is a 5'9 shooting guard who really excelled during her Senior Year. She was named co-captain and was a major leader on and off the court. One thing is for sure, she is thankful for Coach Joe who believed in her and welcomed her to the team with open arms. Here are some of her achievements to date: 4 Year Varsity Player PVI (Freshman & Sophomore) & Holy Cross (Junior & Senior) Spartan showcase MVP (Senior year) 1st team BCSL All Star Patriot Division (Senior year) SJIBT All Tourney Team (Senior year) Captain (Senior year) Made 69 3-pointers this season to lead Burlington County. It was the 7th most by a county female in a year. Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/10445328/Kyla-Treadwell Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/KylaMichelleee *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

NIa Holloway is the ultimate competitor who moved with her family to Stratford, NJ before her freshman year. She is a three sport athlete who plays soccer, basketball and track. Nia is a 5'7 Point Guard for Sterling High School. The junior has enjoyed a great career so far and is excited to prove to everyone that she has what it takes to excel at the next level. After a strong start this year, her season was cut short when she was injured while playing in a game against Collingswood High School. She had to be carried off the court. Unfortunately, Nia tore her ACL. She had surgery to repair it in March and her recovery is going according to schedule. Nia has vowed to do whatever it takes to get back on the court for her senior year. Nia is an amazing floor general with excellent court vision. She uses her quickness and speed to create turnovers on defense and transitions quickly up the floor to lead the attack. She can shoot the lights out and take the ball to the basket. Nia developed great chemistry with her teammates and is great at feeding the post. You can't help but root for her. Despite her injury, Nia finished third in points for her team. Here are some of her achievements to date: Gianna DeVeito Spartan Showcase MVP Butch McLean Memorial Tournament Girls MVP Second Team All Colonial Conference Honor roll Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/9242508/Nia-Little-Baby-Holloway Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/nia_holloway12 *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Maddie McCrea is a 6´0 Junior who primarily plays Small Forward but can handle the ball when necessary. Maddie lives in Allentown, NJ and attends Allentown High School. This year she was named co-captain and helped lead her to to a 16-8 record. The team advanced to the Group 3 Central Quarterfinals losing to Neptune. Maddie led the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks. She made a huge transition between her Sophomore and Junior. She attributes that to her dedication in the off season in which she followed a training program that included basketball drills, strength and conditioning and running. Here are some of her achievements to date: Third Team All Colonial Valley Conference-Sophomore Year First Team All Colonial Valley Conference-Junior Year Second Team All Area-Junior Year Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Year Academic Honor Roll Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/12265862/Maddie-McCrea Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/maddie_mccrea *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Kaitlyn Deiter is a member of the Bishop Eustace Crusaders in Pennsauken, NJ. Kaitlyn is a Senior and played Forward. Bishop Eustace enjoyed a successful season. The team traveled to Florida over winter break and won the KSA Tournament Championship. Winning this tournament gave the team the confidence to compete and play at a high level this season. They advanced to the Non-Public A South Quarterfinals, losing to 10th ranked St. Thomas Aquinis. The Crusaders finished the season with a 20-8 record and joined a select group of teams from South Jersey that finished in the NJ.com Top 50 Teams. Kaitlyn is an unselfish player who leaves it all on the court. She led the team in assists and is versatile. She can score down low and has three point range. She uses her long wingspan to create turnovers and is a total team player. Kaitlyn will be attending TCNJ in the fall where she will be majoring in Nursing and transitioning to Shooting guard. Olympic Conference Second-Team All-Conference Junior and Senior Year Recognized as the team Unsung Hero Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Year 2020 SJIBT All-Tournament Team Co-MVP for the KSA Tournament in Florida National Honor Society. Honor Society for Math, English, and French Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/12200073/Kaitlyn-Deiter Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/kaitlyndeiter?lang=en *Video courtesy of Hudl. *Gatorade and its logo are in no way involved in this podcast.

Amyah Bray is a member of the Manchester Township Hawks in Manchester, NJ. Amyah is a Sophomore and can play PG, SG, SF and PF. She plays where ever the team needs her and prides herself on being a strong defender. Manchester is a powerhouse team in Group 2. They earned their way to the State Finals this season with a decisive win over Manasquan in the Sectional Finals. Amyah is a motivated and ready for any challenge that lies ahead of her. She's willing to do whatever it takes to reach her goals. Her faith in God along with strong family support have helped her along the way. Manchester Township Middle School MVP Manchester Township Middle School Female Athlete of the Year Honor Roll 3rd grade-Present 2020 Shore Coaches B-South Honorable Mention 2020 SSN All Shore Honorable Mention 2020 Hoop Group Most Improved Team Check out her profile on Hudl. https://www.hudl.com/profile/12163318/Amyah-Bray Check out her profile on Twitter. https://twitter.com/amyahbray1

Nia Scott is a member of the Shawnee Lady Renegades in Medford, NJ. After a strong Freshman season, Nia is working hard to improve her game and prepare for life as a college athlete.